PS 371

Fall 2025 All Classes

All Classes

Classical Political Theory

Credit: 3 hours.

Considers the major works of Greek and Roman political theory, stressing their relevance to modern political analysis and action.

Prerequisite: PS 270, six hours of Political Science credit, or consent of instructor.

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PS 371 class schedule data for fall 2025
	CRN	Type	Section	Time	Day	Location	Instructor	Section Details
	43840	Lecture-Discussion	A	3:30PM -4:50PM	TR	2025 Campus Instructional Facility	Miller, B	Part of Term: 1 Date Range: 08/25/25-12/10/25 Section Info: Major restrictions will be lifted at 5pm on Friday, April 18, 2025. This course surveys the origins and development of political thought in ancient Greek society, with a focus on central texts by Thucydides, Plato, and Aristotle. The three primary concepts of classical political thought -- power, legitimacy, and justice -- have remained central in contemporary political theory. We will also explore three concepts that stand front and center in politics today, but were less important for the ancients: freedom, equality, and law. Finally, we will consider other crucial issues for the ancients that are somewhat neglected in mainstream contemporary theory, such as citizenship, education, civic friendship, and piety. We will be looking at a variety of texts, some of which are self-consciously theoretical (Plato and Aristotle), while others are historical, satirical, and legal (Thucydides, Aeschylus, Aristophanes, Demosthenes, etc). Restriction(s): Not intended for students with Freshman class standing.